One of the problems associated with switch devices is that of maintaining low impedance discontinuities when, say, the switch is used in environments where inductance and stray capacitance is such that good high frequency response is unobtainable. Examples of such prior art which were concerned with maintaining low impedance discontinuities are the the switch apparatuses described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,719,788 to Holland et al and U.S. Pat. No. 3,900,711 to Holland, both of which are assigned to the assignee of the present invention. The latter mentioned patent to Holland describes a switch contact assembly consisting of a contact member having a resilient mounting member and a U-shaped resilient contact member held together at their free ends by insulation. The insulation reduced the capacitance between the contact member and the mounting member and the total configuration thereof reduced the inductance of the contact member.
Other environments where inductance and stray capacitance affect high-frequency operation are switched attenuator systems or devices. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,753,170 and 3,820,044 to Holland, also assigned to the assignee of the present invention, attempted to increase high frequency characteristics and to maintain uniform impedance of transmission lines across which the attenuator stages are switched using a high frequency contact arrangement permitting high bandwidths.
However, impedance discontinuities still exist, even in the prior art high frequency devices described, due to the utilization therein of narrow contact fingers, long electrical path lengths, and having metal extending off the transmission mediums into air and over ground planes.